P3 course topics
- Ridge soaring techniques
- Flying in unstable air
- Thermal flying
Ridge soaring training
The ridge soaring clinic lasts 6 days. On the first two days, on flat ground, you practise kiting: straight and crossed risers and brake kiting, the first stage of a reverse launch. Kiting builds your reverse launch technique. Once these reflexes are in place, you make your first launches in Alanya. Straight after take-off you learn to settle into the harness and make effective turns that keep you in the lift band. Soaring turns are the core of this stage: where and how to turn, and how to stop a turn.
You learn to hold a course parallel to the ridge. On these radio-guided flights the aim is to sit calmly in the harness, keep a straight line, turn effectively and respond correctly to pendulum movements. On one-to-one flights your instructor flies beside you and gives directions from the air, which speeds up your progress. You then pick a landing spot on the hill, approach it at the right angle and top-land. You learn and practise safe top-landing methods with wide and narrow approach angles. Over three days, with the help of video, we also complete the theory book on ridge soaring.
Entry requirement
Completion of the P2 course.
Theory
- Ridge lift and the characteristics of soaring
- Variable lift
- Kiting and reverse launch methods
- Soaring take-off, turns and holding a course
- Flight problems
- Top-landing methods
- Advanced speed control
- Polar curves and how to use them to compare wings
- Air traffic rules for ridge flying
What pilots must show
- Correct straight-brake, crossed-brake and crossed-brake with crossed-riser kiting on the ground, holding the wing overhead with full brake control.
- A well-controlled reverse launch.
- Respect for air traffic rules during take-off.
- Two take-offs showing a controlled reverse launch, a determined run, a clean transition from running to flying, a relaxed seating and a well-timed turn into flight parallel to the ridge.
- Effective turns: keeping wing speed, approaching the hill a little, using the lift on the right side of the wing, weight shift before the turn, and stopping the turn.
- Holding a course: controlling ground speed and airspeed, combining wind angle and speed with forward speed to fly straight, choosing a route for different terrain and wind angles, setting the brake for terrain and wind, and using the speed bar when needed.
- Two top landings: choosing the landing spot, planning wide and narrow approaches, approaching at the right angle, landing into wind in the middle of the spot, then controlling and collapsing the wing by kiting.
- Understanding how wind direction, wind speed, terrain and buildings or other tall obstacles affect flights in the area.
- Pre-flight and post-landing procedures on every flight, and reading and understanding the training briefings.
Booking terms
- Each course is limited to a maximum of 12 participants.
- Provisional bookings are made two weeks before the course.
- A participant who completes the stated payment before the course is placed on the confirmed list.
- Once on the confirmed list, participants can cancel up to 15 days before the course.
- Cancellations made within 15 days of the course are not refunded.
- Participants who could not finish the course because of bad weather or lack of practice can book a place on another course.
- Such participants pay the daily course costs and course insurance stated in the payment terms.
- Participants who could not finish because of lack of practice and book the next course can cancel up to 15 days before it. After that, they lose the right to join by paying only the daily course costs and insurance.
- Ulusky instructors may postpone a course because of the weather.
- The course fee must be paid by the first day of the course at the latest.
- Participants who do not complete their training are not refunded.
What to bring
Your paraglider, equipment and flying clothes, and a radio if you have one. Boots with ankle support, fingerless gloves, a comfortable tracksuit or trousers, and clothes suitable for the season.
Certificate requirements
At this stage, 40 practical training flights are completed together with basic emergency exercises, adding up to 15 hours in total (at least 2 hours of thermal flying).
Every flight is signed off in the logbook by the course instructor. Students have one-to-one briefings before each flight and debriefings after it.
In the first 20 flights the instructor assesses take-off technique, wing control at take-off and in flight, steering and landing close to the target. All flights are recorded and signed by the responsible instructor.
This stage also includes turns with brakes, without brakes and by weight shift, and big-ears practice.
The maximum wind limit at this stage is 30 km/h.
